Jannet Generous Foulds

My maiden name was Foulds, FOULDS. I was born in Bresaylor, Saskatchewan, April 2nd, 1926. I had two brothers and a sister all older than me. One brother was in for six years and the other brother was in over four. My sister was in for four. I was too young, so I joined at 18. And I went into the service, said I was too young to go overseas, though I did try. At that time, it was sort of follow what my sister said. She was a clerk typist, so I thought I should be. But many times I regret it after, I should have taken up something else. Driving, and a driver. You know, driving Jeeps and stuff like that. Then I went down to Regina, most of the day trip, and they met me at the station, of course, and south of the barracks. And I think that was the worst night of my life. I think I realized it and cried most of the night. Well, just being away from home. Didn’t know what you were getting into. I hadn’t traveled very far, and realized I’m going to be in the army and I’m not going back. It goes from Regina to Kitchener, Ontario. We went on the CP [Canadian Pacific Railway], I think it was, or CN [Canadian National Railway], for the troop train took us from Regina. Several cars of girls and there was also a couple cars of the soldiers, which we had to bar up from the girls because some of the girls were sneaking up into their cars. So they had to bar them from going. It was a long trip, but they looked after us well. We slept well and they fed us. Hadn’t traveled anywhere, and so it was quite exciting in a way. But the next day we went in and they swore us into the services and medicals and you name it, we had it. Well, we were all treated good, but when we got to basic training, the people in basic training, they were service people, were good. Civilians, well, they were very rude, standoffish, cold. They were mainly German too, I think. Well, you went into the stores and stuff and they never treated you. So we went uptown, went in the stores, we didn’t have anything really to do with them, but they weren’t friendly. Well, I couldn’t be sure what it was, except for the fact that maybe they figured girls shouldn’t be in the military. Girls didn’t get the best name being in the military. You get one rotten apple and that spoiled for us all. I just took basic training. It was so cold. We took it in November and it was very, very cold. We were dressed warm, but it was still, even coming from the prairies, we found it quite cold. You done a lot of standing and stuff like that. So you noticed the cold. I went on a course to Toronto to a clerk typist course. Then I went to London, Ontario and I worked for Captain Pramoli. He was in the social service and I was his first clerk typist, the first typist he had. And I wasn’t that good a typist, but he was such a patient, good man, he helped me through everything. Everything. And I got my chances to go and I preferred to stay, helped me all the way through. Well, we were working on social service work really, compassionate leave, compassionate discharges and stuff like that, so I wouldn’t even head on to the bases. From the beginning, it was my typing. I had to learn to type, I never even seen a typewriter. So it took me a little longer than most, but I eventually got up there. I stayed until 1946 and when my officer was getting his discharge, he was released, released right away. I had the choice to take my discharge and go and work at the depot. And when he was leaving, I took my discharge. I think we’re very grateful to the… had my two brothers and sister all come back from what was going on. That’s about the best thoughts I think we could have and we all went and came back.